Method of and apparatus for making soap cakes



Jan. 17, 1950 l. M. HOGLIN 2,49,U05

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SOAP CAKES 34 m g w 11' HH IIHI' INVENTOR.

Jam. 1?, K959 l. M. HQGLIN 2,495,095

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SOAP CAKES Filed April 2, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3] I o I 433 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SOAPCAKES Irving M. 'Hoglin, Denver, Colo.

Application April 2, 1945,'Serial No. $86,241

16 Claims.

Another object is to produce a cake of soap embodying contrasting colors by causing difieren-t colored soap materials to be first properly formed by opposed complementary dies and then caused to become interfi-tted by relative movement.

Yet another object is to produce an improved method of making soap cakes which will result in the automatic continuous production of individual cakes of soap having embodied therein indicia of contrasting color extending completely throughthe cake.

A further object of this invention is to produce improved apparatus for carrying out the improved method which apparatu5 will be fully automatic.

A still further object is to produce improved apparatus which will-form from complementary dies streams of soap material of contrasting color, cause aninter-fitting of .said streams of soap by simultaneous equal movements in opposite directions, and then automatically out said interfitted soap material from the streams at the proper time interval to form individual soap cakes.

Yeta further :object is to produce a soap cake making machine which will continuously form and interfit oppositely moving streams of soap material of contrasting color and :then automatically cut the inter-fitted material-when the extent of interfltting is such as to equal the HB- sired thickness of za cakeof soap.

A further object isto produce improved means .for cutting astream of soap-being extruded from a die to thereby form individual-pieces of :soap.

Other objects of the; invention will become apparent from the iollowing {description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a top view of a soap making machine embodying :my invention whereby indicia embodied cakes of soap can be produced by my improved method of manufacture;

Figure 2 isa front view of the :machineshown in Figure 1,;

Figure 3 is an enlarged front view showing the relationship between the extruding diesand the knives and knock-out {paddle of the cutting mechanism;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing the die construction for making the main body of the cake of soap;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line :5--5 of Figure3 showing the die construction for making the contrasting colored indicia in the cake of soap;

Figures is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1 showing the cutting mechanism ready to make a cut;

Figure 57 is a top view of the cutting mechanism;

Figure 7A is an enlarged top view of part of the cutting mechanism showing details of construotion';

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line *8-8otFigure 7 showing details of construction;

Figure 9 is a schematic view showing the control means for the, motor which operates the cutting mechanism; and

Figure 10 is a schematic view showing a modi- "fied control means for the cutting mechanism.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the improved apparatus shown for carrying out my improved method of soap cake manufacture has a frame :1 upon the opposite ends of which are mounted electric motors 2 and 3 Which are of the variable speed type, the varying of the speeds of the motors, being under the control of suitable levers l :and 5 on the exterior of leg compartments fi and! atopposit'e ends of the frame. On the frame adjacent the motor 2 is mounted a casing 8 having a cylindrical bore 8 in which is a screw 9 driven :by said (motor 2. There'is also :shown a hopper Id wherebysoap material in suitable form may be fed into the cylinder of the easing and forced out-its-forward 'end by rotation of the screw 8.. In a-similar manner there is associated with the :motor 3 a casing l I provided with acy-l-indrical bore H having mounted therein a screw 12 which is driven by the motor 3. There is also provided a hopper l3 for feeding soap material to the cylinder 1to=be forced out its forward end by the screw [2. Soap material can be fed to the hoppersin any suitable manner, as by means of conduits. The cylinders" andthe screw therein are arranged :to handle a soap imaterial tor the body portion of the finished cake of soap, whereas the. cylinder 11' and the screw [2 are arranged to handle a soap material for the indicia which is to be: embodied in the main body of the soap cakasaid soap material to be of contra-sting color with respect to the cake body. As an example of the contrasting colors, the soap loodyfmayrbe made of white soapnmaterial vand the indicia may be made of green colored soap material. The particular indicia which is illustrated as being embodied in the soap cake is the letter 0, but it is to be understood that other letters, monograms, emblems, words, trade-marks, etc., may be embodied in the cake of soap in a color which is contrasting to the color of the body of said cake.

The casings 8 and I l are aligned and in spaced relation with the forward ends of the cylinder in each casing opposed to each other. On the forward end of the casing 8 at the open end of its cylinder, there is mounted an extruding die indicated by the letter B and on the forward end of the casing ll there is an extruding die I. These dies are bolted to the ends of the casings by suitable stud bolts l4 so that they may be readily removed and replaced by other dies when dilferent indicia is to be embodied in the cake or the general outline of the cake changed, as for example, from a rectangular shape to a round shape.

The dies B and I are shown in detail in Figures 3, 4 and 5 and reference is now made to these figures. The die B, from which the main body of soap is to be made, has a rectangular shaped channel l5 therethrough and is employed to make a rectangular shaped soap cake body. The channel l5 at the rear end communicates with the cylinder 8' and its forward end opens toward the die I. The forward end of the channel is smaller than the rear end and the walls of the channel converge from the rear end toward the forward end so that the soap material which is forced through the die will be compressed before it is extruded from the forward open end of the die. Compressing, of course, will be brought about by the action of the screw 9 continuously forcing soap material into and through the channel l5. Centrally positioned within the channel is a hollow cylindrical member l6 provided with a desired wall thickness and being longitudinally arranged in the channel. This cylinder is supported in the central part of the channel by spokes I! which are relatively thin so that they will not obstruct flow of the soap material and readily permit the soap to flow around the spokes and. become united under the compressing action before the soap is extruded from the open forward end of the die. The cylindrical member l6 extends to the forward open end of the die and it is by means of this cylindrical member that an aperture in the stream of soap being extruded will be made which is annular in cross section. When the material of contrasting color is received in this annular aperture the letter 0 will result which is the letter being used as an illustration in the particular embodiment shown. With the die 3" arranged, as shown, it is seen that the stream of soap material being extruded from the forward open end of the die will have a square outer perimeter and an annular aperture extending in a longitudinal direction.

The die I is formed to be complementary to the die B. This die I is therefore shaped to form a hollow cylindrical stream of soap which is of such cross section that it can fit into the annular aperture in the stream of soap being extruded through the die B. To make the cylindrical stream of soap, the die is formed with a channel I8 of circular cross section, the rear end of which communicates with the cylinder in the casing II and the forward open end thereof be opposite the end of the cylindrical member ll; of the die B. The diameter of the channel l8 at its forward open end is slightly less than the external diameter of the cylindrical member It in the die B and the axis of the open end of the channel I8 is so positioned as to coincide with the axis of the cylindrical member I6 of die B. The rear end of the channel I8 is flared so as to readily receive the soap material from the cylinder ll and .to also compress the soap' material as it is forced into the channel by the screw l2. Within the channel I8 is a solid cylindrical member I 9 which is held therein by spokes 20. The axis of this cylindrical member coincides with the axis of the channel and the external diameter of the cylindrical member at the forward open end of the channel is slightly larger than the diameter of the hollow cylindrical member IS in the die B. Thus it is seen that as the soap is extruded through the channel I8 it will come out of the die in the form of a cylindrical tube and will be of such size as to fit within the annular aperture of the stream of soap material coming from the die B. Therear end of the solid cylindrical member [9 tapers to a substantial point at the rear end of the channel l8, thus aiding in compressing soap material in the channel as the material is forced therein by the screw [2.

Theopen ends of the complementary dies B and I are spaced apart a distance which is slightly greater'than the thickness of the soap cake which is to be produced. In making the soap cake the motors 2 and 3 are driven at such speeds that the rate at which each stream of soap is being extruded through the complementary dies wil be substantially equal. This permits the-soap streams to be extruded from the dies at the same time and the ends of the streams to reach the center of the space between the die at substantially the same time after which the streams will become interfitted. As there is continuous movement of the streams in opposite directions, the interfitting will continue until the end of each stream approaches the die opposite the die from which it is extruded. At this time the interfitting portions of the two streams of soap can be severed from the streams and thus produce a cake of soap which has embodied therein and extending completely therethrough an indicia of a color contrasting to that of the cake body. Although the soap material being extruded is plastic in form, the streams will nevertheless interfit readily since the unsupported portions of the streams, before interfitting takes place, are so short that there will be no harmful sagging of the streams prior to interfitting. The cake of soap being made will probably not be thicker than an inch and a half, thus it is seen the greatest unsupported length of extruded soap will not be greater than approximately threefourths of an inch.

Although I prefer to cause the streams of soap being extruded to move simultaneously from the dies at the same rate of speed, it is possible to first cause one stream to be extruded and then the other stream to be extruded, provided, of course, the thickness of the soap cake to be formed and the soap material is such that no such sagging will take place that the two streams cannot be caused to readily interfit. Such a procedure in obtaining interfitting of the two streams is within the scope of my invention.

The mechanism for cutting the streams to form the soap cake will now be described and reference is made to Figures 1, 6, 7 and 9. The

anemone andso related-tothe dies that when'the. shaft 2i is rotatedthe blade will passalong. the forward face of the die B andrthe-blade- 26 will pass along the face of the die I, thereby performing cutting of thetwostreams-of material being extruded-bythe dies. I he cutting-of each stream will occur at the faoe surfaceofthe die.

The shaft 2 lis arrangedto be-driven by suitable gearing 21 from a motor shaft- 2B of anelec-- tric motor 2 9-. As shown. in-the schematicview of Figure 9 this motor shaft 28 has associated therewith a brake 30 which: is normally: held applied-by a spring 31 and: released: by a solenoid or magnet S. Associated V with the line 32 leadingto-themotor 2 9 isa timer; a main switch for the motor and: also a switch for the solenoid S of the brake which is connectedtothe line by conductors 33-. The timer andthe two switches are all: enclosed in-a single-box generally indicated by the letter T. Thetimer at periodic intervals will cause a closing.- of: the main circuit of the motor and-a simultaneous closing of the circuit for the solenoid. Thus the brake 5t willbe released and the-motorstarted. Starting of the motor will=swing the cutting blades 25 and it through one revolution and these blades will cut the two streams of soap-material being extruded by, the-dies. Thetimerislsdarranged that it will cause abreaking-of the circuit to motor 29: and tothesolenoid o-f thebrake when the motor has rotatedthelbladesthrough the one revolution; Therewillthen be are-application of the brake and thestopping of themotorat the proper time. Thetimerswitch is-socoordinated with the speed of the extruded streams ofsoap material that the bladeswill be operated when the end of each stream of extruded materialsubstantially reachesthe opposed 'die; this condition being illustrated in Figure 3. Undersuch circumstanceseach blade will only be required to cut one stream, the blade- 25 c-utting the stream from the die B andthe'blade 26= cutting; the stream from thedie- I 3 The end surface of the die adjacent thetops thereof are-beveled so that the blades, when-rotated, will be guided to move along the end surfaces of the diesso as to make aclean shearing out.

It is possible-that when theinterfittedportions of the streams arecut from the streams by the blades, the cake of soap will not freely drop-out from the streams by gravity; In order to-insure that this will be done, -there-isassociated with the blades a kick-out paddle. This paddle extends from a collar 35- loosely-mounted on the shaft 2i between the blade collars 23 and 24. The blade collars are provided with-lugsSGwhich fit into slots t'l-inthecollar-fi. The-slots-3-I are of considerably greater arcuatelength than the lugs to thusprovide a lost motionarrangement between thebladesand the paddle. A= hair pin type of spring 3B is' connected between each lug 36 and the paddle collar-35;as-best shown in Figures 8and-9.-- Thesesprings bias-the-paddle so that it will be normally insubstantially; the same plane asthe blades (see- Figure-- 8), yet will perm-it the blades tomoverelativelytothe paddle by a compressing of the hair: pin springs: 13? this. arrangement, when. the blades are: operated to perform a. cutting: operation, the paddle: will be moved along with: the..b1ades'= towhere itengages the top surface of the interfitted portions of the streams where it will remain: while the blades move relatively thereto .and'. out: the streams. This action is: illustrated! in'Figu-re 't. The arcuateslots and. the lugs 0nith 0011218153, 24 and 35 are so related; that the; yieldablelost motion will not be taken upuntilutheiblades pass completely through! the streams: At this: time the lugswill: be atthe oppositeends.- of the slots and therefore will pick up; and. positively rotate thepaddlewit-h the shaft 21. Thisrpositive'roitation will insure thatthe paddle will? kicle out! the. cake of soap. and when. so; kicked: anti: it will fall down into the chute 392 From herethe soap bar can be conveyed: to. asuitabl'e finishing machine whereby the. cutsoap cakeccanlbespressed into its final form, having the desiredzcunved edges, etc. After the cutting'hasbeen performed and the paddle has kicked outif-thewsoap. cake, the hairpin springs 38:Willifunctiontoagain-ibring the paddle into substantially. thesameplane: as the blades, as. indicated in. Figure 3:

From the foregoing description. it willibetapr parent, that with the apparatus: described soap cakes can be continuously: mad-e1 thatphauevem-e bodied therein indiciaof: alicontrasting color whichv extends completely. throughthe-icakei The soap material of. contrasting; colorszwilli be fed to the hoppers and; cylinders andrth-is; material will then be extruded through the.--comp1cmen;'- tary dies B and.I. Theldieswilltso.formrthe streams of soap that they. can become interfitted as the streams move in oppositeadirections: and when the interfitted portions are of: a proper length they will be cut ofiz'fromcthe. streamsto form the soap cake. with theindicia embodied therein. The cutting of the interfltteda portions will be very rapid and thusiit: will; not be neoese sary to stop the streams; of? soap during the cutting operation. Thecutters will be periodir cally operated. andv the operation. iscoordinated with the rate of movement; .of' the extruded streams of soap material, bothiofr whichmoveal the. same rate of: speed; Byremployin icomplementary dies and; interfitting:- the stream f; soap material moving; inopposite directions; there=wi1l be formed clearcutindiciainlthe sqap cake It will be noted that all-thecornpressing otthhsgap material takes place prior; to the; Streams of soap materialbecoming interiitted solas to placethe soap material formingthe indicia' into; the; main body. Thusthis indiciawillenot. be acted upon by any pressures, which tend to deform; thorsharp outline thereof. The result will bea soap.-cake having an attractiveindicia.

In Figure 10 Lhaveshownaschematic arrange ment of apparatuswherebytheeoperationof the cutting blades canbe-directly Qontrolled by the extruded soap. Thisisacoomplishedby meansof a photo-electric beam. which: is. broken; by. one of the streams at the proper time. Whenthis-beam is broken a timer, willbe set. in operation and the switches of the cutter mechanism will operate.

As sh w in F ure 10., thereis pr vided'photo: electric tubes 39' and 40; onopposite sides ofjthe ie and so p ti d with respe t to he. stream of soap being extruded from thedie Bfthat' this beam will-be broken when: the endjofthe stream is at a point Where it is about to engagethe S111? face of the complementarydle Iz Thesetubes are connected incircuit with-the boxr"T' con taining the timer and the switches. When the beam between the photo-electric tubes is broken the timer will close the switches so that the brake will be released and the blades given one rotation to perform the cutting operation. When this one rotation is accomplished the timer will permit the opening of the switches, thereby reapplying the brake and stopping the motor. When th interfitted portions of the streams of material have been severed and kicked out the beam will no longer be broken and thus the cycle will be set up for the next cutting operation.

Being aware of the possibility of modifications in .the particular apparatus disclosed, together with the disclosed steps of the method of manufacturing a soapcake and also the possibility of employing the apparatus and method for making articles from plastic materials other than soap, I do not intend that my invention be limited in any manner except in accordance with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of producing an article from plastic material of contrasting colors so that said article will comprise a body of one color of material having embodied therein and extending completely therethrough, material of another color, said method comprising the extruding in opposite directions of separate streams of the contrasting colored plastic material from opposed spaced complementary dies so positioned that the streams become interfitted in the space between the dies by relative movement in opposite directions while said streams project from the dies and then cutting interfitted portions from the streams.

2. The method of producing an article from plastic material of contrasting colors so that said article will comprise a body of one color of material having embodied therein and extending completely therethrough, material of another color, said method comprising the simultaneous extruding at the same rate of speed of separate streams of the contrasting colored plastic material from opposed spaced complementary dies so positioned that the streams can become interfitted during movement in opposite directions in the space between the dies.

3. The method of producing an article from plastic material of contrasting colors so that said article will comprise a body of one color of material having embodied therein and extending completely therethrough material of another color, said method comprising the simultaneous extruding at the same rate of speed of streams of the contrasting colored plastic material from opposed spaced complementary dies so positioned that the streams can become interfitted during movementin opposite directions in the space between the dies, and cutting interfitted portions from the streams at periodic intervals.

4. The method of producing cakes of soap having embodied therein indicia of contrasting color extending completely through the cake comprising simultaneous forming by opposed spaced complementary dies separate streams of soap material of contrasting color with one stream having a longitudinally extending aperture therein of a cross section conforming with the outline of the indicia desired and the other of a cross sectional contourto fit the aperture, causing said streams to move simultaneously at equal rates of speed in opposite directions and assume an interfitting relation during said movement, and simultaneously cutting the streams whenthe end of each stream 8 approaches the die from which the other is being extruded.

5. In apparatus of the class described two complementary dies positioned in opposed spaced relation, means for extruding a stream of plastic material through each die and into interfitting relation with the other stream in the space between th dies, and means for simultaneously cutting streams adjacent the surfaces at the outer open ends of the dies after portions of the streams have become interfitted to an extent substantially the distance between the dies.

6. In apparatus of the class described two complementary dies positioned in opposed spaced relation, means for extruding a stream of plastic material through each die and into interfitting relation with the other stream in the space between the dies, and means for simultaneously cutting the streams adjacent the interfitted portions.

7. In apparatus of the class described two complementary dies positioned in opposed spaced relation, means for extruding a stream of plastic material through each die and into interfitting relation with the other stream, means for simultaneously cutting the streams adjacent the interfitted portions, and means for positively moving the interfitted portions from the stream after the streams have been cut.

8. In apparatus of the class described two complementary dies positioned in opposed spaced relation, means for extruding a stream of plastic material through each die and into interfitting relation with the other streamln the space between the dies, a means for simultaneously cutting the streams at points adjacent the interfitted portions and comprising two blades, an electric motor for operating the blades, a normally applied brake for the motor and means for starting the motor and releasing the brake.

9. In apparatus of the class described, two complementary dies positioned in opposed spaced relation, means for extruding a stream of plastic material through each die at equal rates of speed and into interfitting relation in the space between the dies, and mechanism for cutting each stream adjacent its die at a time when the streams have become interfitted over a distance substantially equal to the distance between the dies.

10. In apparatus of the class described, two complementary dies positioned in opposed spaced relation so that materials coming therefrom move in opposite directions, means comprising a screw for extruding a stream of plastic material through each die and into interfitting relation in the space between the dies, means for driving said screws so that the rate of extrusion of the material from each die is equal, a cutter for severing each stream adjacent its die, and means for simultaneously operating thecutters.

11. In apparatus of the class described, two complementary dies positioned in opposed spaced relation so that materials coming therefrom move in opposite directions, means for extruding streams of plastic material through each die at equal rates of speeds and into interfitting relation in the-space between the dies and mechanism including two cutting blades for simultaneously cutting the streams adjacent the dies and means for periodically operating the cutting blades.

12. In apparatus of the class described, complementary dies, means for extruding plastic material through the dies into interfitting relation, a shaft adjacent the dies, means for rotating the shaft, cutting blades secured to the shaft and when moved through an are by the shaft being capable of severing the plastic materials coming from the dies, and a member rotatable with the shaft after the blades have cut the material and arranged to engage a surface of the material between the dies.

13. In apparatus of the class described, complementary dies, means for extruding plastic material through the dies into interfitting relation, a shaft adjacent the die, means for rotating the shaft, cutting blades secured to the shaft and when moved through an are by the shaft being capable of severing the plastic materials coming from the dies, a member mounted on the shaft and arranged to engage the surface of material between the dies, a lost motion connection between the member and the shaft, a yieldable connection between the member and the shaft and normally biasing the member to the limit of the lost motion connection and to a position in substantially the same plane as the blades whereby during cutting by the blades the member can engage the surface of the material and the blades move relatively thereto by a yielding of the yieldable connection, together with the lost motion connection, and then pick up the member for simultaneous movement when the materials have been severed.

14. In apparatus of the class described, complementary dies in opposed spaced relation, means for extruding plastic material through the dies and into interfitting relation, and cutting mechanism for the material comprising two simultaneously rotatable cutting blades, said blades being spaced apart and each arranged to cut material adjacent a die after being extruded, a member arranged to engage material between the blades and move it out of the streams of extruded material after the blades have severed such from the said streams, and means for rotating the blades and the member.

15. In apparatus of the class described, complementary dies in opposed spaced relation, means for extruding plastic material through the dies and into interfitting relation, and cutting mechanism for the material comprising two simul- 9 taneously rotatable cutting blades, said blades being spaced apart and each arranged to cut material adjacent a die after being extruded, a member arranged between the blades and normally lying in substantially the same plane thereof, driving means for the blades and connecting means between the member and driving means including a yieldable lost motion means for permitting the blades to move relatively to the member and cut the material while the member engages the material between the blades and then to positively move the member so as to move the severed material.

16. In apparatus of the class described, two complementary dies positioned in opposed spaced relationso that materials coming therefrom move in opposite directions, means for extruding a Vstream of plastic material through each die at equal rates of speed and into interfitting relation in the space between the dies, mechanism for simultaneously cutting each stream adjacent its die, and means controlled by one of the streams when its end has reached a predetermined distance from its die for causing operation of the cutting mechanism.

IRVING M. HOGLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the -fi1e of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

